Mystery in Middle Grade Fiction: Giving Fantastic Spoiler-Free Book Talks, a guest post by Kristin O’Donnell Tubb

My first mystery, Fowl Play, releases July 30. It’s a bit of a whodunnit, but it’s more of a wasitdoneatall? I realized how tough it’s going to be, pitching a book about a mysterious death that isn’t scary but funny. The closest I’ve come to talking about it is calling it a “Scooby-Doo mystery,” which potential readers seem to understand right away.

It occurred to me how tough it must be for librarians to book talk stories – especially mysteries! – without giving too much of the plot away. Here are some ideas from a few wonderful librarian friends:

Think about your audience… “I tend to think about who I’m talking to and what about that book will appeal to them. It might be tidbits about the characters or some kind of idea of the plot,” says Cindy Minnich, an English teacher and Library Media Specialist at Upper Dauphin Area High School in Upper Dauphin Area School District in Pennsylvania.

…and connect it to things you know they love! Minnich continues, ”(C)onnect it to something else they are familiar with (another book, tv show, movie, game).”  I often say my book The Decomposition of Jack is Ted Lasso meets Wednesday Addams, with a splash of roadkill. Older middle grade readers love that mash-up!

Make a “reaction video” or ask students to record a “silent book review.” “There are a lot of popular reaction videos out there now, and if you were to make a ‘reaction video’ style reel to go along with it, that would be cool,” says Rebecca Brothers, a teacher and writer in Louisville, KY. Silent book reviews often show thumbs-up or thumbs-down reactions, or readers pretending to sob or clutch the book to their heart. They’re often paired with music that captures the mood of the book. These are so much fun to watch!

Invite the author/illustrator to help you! Many authors are happy to film a short 30- to 45-second talk about their book if they know you’ll be using them in your lessons. They might be able to Zoom as well, especially if the book is a part of the curriculum or is on your state list. I also have a YouTube channel with me reading excerpts from most of my books – those are there for educators!

Get your students involved. Shannon Minner, a media specialist in Rutherford County Schools in Murfreesboro, TN, says she asks each class to choose their three favorite books and write “hooks” about them. She chooses a handful of those and shares them with the other classes. These endorsements could be actively shared during your class time, or they could be used to make a bulletin board or as computer screen savers. Susan Sullivan, School Librarian in the Greece Central School District in Greece, New York, agrees: “Have kids do them!”

Make it a game! “I do a Library Musical Chair activity where students walk around chairs with books. They then spend 2-3 minutes reading the books and at the end they have to give me a thumbs up or down for each book. (Then) they do a written response for one book they are interested in reading and why, and one they don’t want to read and the reason (which also helps guide my book selection process!)” says Carrie Kendrick Gordon, a Media Specialist in Tennessee.

Have older kids book talk to younger kids! Minner expands on the idea of students giving book talks: “I would really love to find some middle or high school aged students who do BookTok.” And Patricia Nesbitt , a creative writing teacher in the Bowling Green Independent Schools in Bowling Green, KY, agrees: “I really like to have students participate with each other across the grades. (Have) older students who have read the book give talks to younger students about the books and why they like them. Fourth graders present to first or second grade with picture books and early readers. Fifth graders present to third graders with chapter books, graphic novels, and middle grade.”

Begin with the hook or a question, and then give plot details. “For instance, for The Last Cuentista, you could ask, ‘If you were going to have to leave Earth on a spaceship, and you knew you could never return, how would you decide what ONE thing you would bring with you?’ Or for Ferris, ‘If your favorite person in the whole world SWORE she saw a ghost and needed your help to prove it, would you believe her? And would you help her?’” says Stephanie Appell, former YA and children’s bookseller and associate editor for BookPage. 

Keep it short and leave on a cliffhanger. Brothers says, “When I introduced new books to my classes, I always started to tell a juicy detail and then pretended to catch myself and say ‘Oh, you’ll just have to read that part!’ My students would go crazy wanting more. This was for middle school/high school, but would work at any grade. You just have to make it sound like forbidden knowledge.” Says Julie Kreft, School Librarian in Norman Public Schools in Norman, OK: “Always leave on a cliffhanger, or tantalizing tidbit. Introduce the scene, the characters, any major points of interest, build up to the cliff, then push them over and close the book dramatically. Works every time!”

The trick my mom used on me, manymanymany years ago? She pointed to a Caldecott Medal on a picture book (If I recall, the book was Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears by Verna Aardema, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon) and said, “See these shiny medals on these books? This is supposed to mean these are the very best books. Do you want to read them to see if they are?” It definitely worked! My mother and my library card made me the reader I am today. Book talks make readers!

Meet the author

Kristin O’Donnell Tubb’s book have won five state book awards. She is the author of eleven middle grade novels, including Fowl Play, The Decomposition of Jack, Luna Howls at the Moon, Zeus Dog of Chaos, The Story Collector series, and A Dog Like Daisy. Kristin lives near Nashville, Tennessee with her bouncy-loud family. Just like her two dogs, she can be bribed with cheese.

Kristin can be found far too often on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/kristin.tubb), Twitter (https://twitter.com/#!/ktubb), and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kristintubb/) .  Oh, and she has a website, too: www.kristintubb.com.

About Fowl Play

Knives Out meets Finding Orion in this funny and heartwarming middle grade mystery by award-winning author Kristin O’Donnell Tubb about a girl investigating the recent death of her uncle only to find the healing power of family.

Chloe Alvarez has never been to the reading of a last will and testament before, but she hopes it is just like the movies. Lies! Intrigue! The reading of her Uncle Will’s will is standard, until he announces his gift for Chloe: his African grey parrot, Charlie.

Uncle Will was Chloe’s best friend. Without him, she’s left with only her memories of them together—which come to her in snapshots—and her new friend, Charlie. The parrot has a vast vocabulary, and soon Chloe hears her say something odd: It was murder, followed by homicide and cyanide. Chloe becomes convinced her uncle Will’s death was foul play. Why else wouldn’t he have told anyone in the family—especially Chloe—that he was sick?

With the help of her family, Chloe begins the investigation to uncover Uncle Will’s murderer. The suspects: His nosy neighbor. An ex-girlfriend. A rude landlord. A loan shark. But it all leads to more questions than answers. Did someone really kill Uncle Will? Or could this journey help reunite Chloe’s grieving family?

ISBN-13: 9780063274037
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: 07/30/2024
Age Range: 8 – 12 Years

Filed under: Guest Post